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Introduction
Merseyside Christian Youth Camps (MCYC) aims to provide a holiday service through transparent policies and procedures that are fair and responsive to the needs of our service users. When dissatisfaction or conflict arises, however, the aim is that this should be resolved as quickly and informally as possible, whilst ensuring that unresolved issues are not left unaddressed, and the service user is aware of their right of access to the Complaints Procedure.
2. Who can complain?
This procedure is available to anyone who is receiving a service from MCYC or who has been refused a service. This includes a child or young person or someone acting on their behalf, a volunteer leader or a church or person acting on its behalf. Complaints should be raised within 28 days of the incident the complaint relates to.
3. Nature of complaint
3.1 The complaint can be about any aspect of the service provided by MCYC.
3.2 If the complaint concerns allegations of abuse against a child, the child protection procedures will be followed and the allegations referred to the local authority for investigation.
3.3 If the complaint concerns allegations of a criminal offense, the matter will be referred to the Police.
3.4 In the event of a complaint being referred to a different procedure, a full explanation will be given to the complainant.
4. Informal resolution of a complaint
4.1 A full copy of this complaints procedure will be provided to service users on request.
4.2 When a service user is at Camp and indicates to a volunteer member of staff that s/he wants to make a complaint, this will be communicated to the Director of the week as soon as practicable.
4.3. If the complaint is about the Director of the week, the complaint should be made to either Assistant Director.
4.4 The Director (or Assistant) will speak to the complainant to discuss the nature of the complaint and to seek her/his agreement to the matter being dealt with informally if this is appropriate. If this is not given, the Director (Assistant) will discuss with the complainant whether the formal procedure should be implemented. (The Director [Assistant] may also decide that the nature of the complaint means that informal resolution is not appropriate, and that the formal procedure or some other procedure should be instituted.)
4.5 If there is agreement to proceed towards informal resolution, the Director (Assistant) will investigate the substance of the complaint and attempt to reach a resolution of the matter that is acceptable to the complainant.
4.6 If the complainant is satisfied with the outcome being suggested, the matter will be concluded. If not, the complainant will be offered the option of taking the complaint to the next level and the MCYC Executive will deal with the matter.
4.7 Whoever deals with the complaint will write a report outlining the nature of the complaint and the outcome. A copy of this report will be sent to the complainant and a copy forwarded to the Chair of MCYC Council and retained on the Complaints File.
4.8 The aim should be for informal resolution of a complaint to be achieved as soon as possible but in any case neither of the two stages should individually be longer than 28 days.
4.9 If the matter is still not able to be resolved, the complainant will be offered the option of instituting the formal procedure.
5. Formal procedure
5.1 The complainant will be asked to write to the Tyn Y Nant Christian Centre Complaints Officer (Trustee), stating the nature of the complaint and her/his wish for the complaint to be investigated under formal procedures. This can be by email to: complaints@mcyc.online
5.2 The TYNC Complaints Officer will liaise with two members of the MCYC Council or TYNC Trust who, as an Executive, will commence an investigation of the complaint and provide a report on the investigation as soon as possible but in any case within 28 days of the start of the investigation.
5.3 A written response will be made to the complainant on the action to be taken by TYNC in response to the complaint.
5.4 If the complainant is satisfied with the response, the complaint is concluded. The papers relating to the complaint will be filed on the Complaints File,
5.5 If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome s/he will be offered the opportunity to make representations either in writing or in person, to a panel of three other members of the TYNC Board of Trustees.
5.6 The panel will have had no prior involvement in the consideration of the complaint, but will review all the reports available and consider them in the light of the representations from the complainant. They will also be entitled to interview the members of the Executive to help clarify any of the issues raised by the complaint.
5.7 The panel will reach a conclusion on the action to be taken by the Executive in response to the complaint, and this decision will be final.
5.8 A complainant who remains dissatisfied at this stage will be informed that TYNC’s Complaints Procedure is concluded, and s/he will be advised of other avenues for complaint – specifically the Trustees of the Tyn-y-Nant Christian Centre.
5.9 A report of the complaint will be retained on the Complaints file.
5.10 The Executive will never include a person whom the complaint is about. The complaint will be notified of the Panel’s decision in writing, together with their reasons and any actions they have taken as a result of the complaint.
7. Review of complaints
The Executive will conduct an annual review of complaints made against MCYC and the outcome of those complaints.
The Executive will use this review to assess the functioning of the Complaints Procedure, and to make adjustments as are considered appropriate to the procedure or the manner in which complaints are handled.